Former Football Star to Coach

A former quarterback, who led Harvard to a share of the lvy League football title in 1982, was named head coach of the University's freshman team.

Don Allard '83 was picked by varsity coach Joe Restic, his former coach, to replace Jim Kubacki, who recently became offensive coordinator at Fordham University.

"He's got all the qualities to make an excellent freshman football coach," said Restic, the author of Harvard's complex multi-flex offensive system. "He has experience ;in our system, he's been through our program and he knows Harvard."

Although Allard has never coached football before, Restic says he believes the Massachusetts native demonstrated in his playing days attributes crucial for making a good coach.

"Don's dedicated, a hard worker, knowledgable and wants to improve," he said. "I've seen how he is able to overcome trying times, and coaches certainly go through many of those."

"The job is perfect for me," Allard said by phone from his Winchester, Mass. home. "for both me and the freshmen. this is a new experience. But unlike freshmen I do know a lot about Harvard land I can be of guidance both in and out of the classroom."

Approximately too freshman go out for Harvard"s football team each year. The team, open to all freshmen, offers an opportunity for underclassmen to play football, since they are ineligible to play on Harvard's varsity team.

In his senior year Allard led his team to a 7-3 record, sharing the league title with the University of Pennsylvania. The co-recipient of the Bingham Award for Harvard's best athlete in that same year, Allard times in baseball.

Prior to accepting the coaching post Allard was the assistant to the general manager at the Los Angeles Dodger organization's Vero Beach, Fla. spring training complex, known as Dodgertown.